Fullerton Hits Bottom Against New Mexico St. : Big West: Titans are routed, 43-9, by Aggies, who end their 27-game losing streak.

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Cal State Fullerton hit ground zero Saturday, losing to New Mexico State, 43-9, and snatching the title of “Worst Division I-A Team in America” from the Aggies’ mantel.

New Mexico State was ranked 106th out of 106 Division I-A teams by The National, an all-sports publication. The Aggies surely will vacate the bottom spot, and Fullerton, which entered at No. 105, has the U-Haul in the driveway and is ready to move in.

“This is about as low as it gets,” Titan defensive back Terry Tramble said.

Added Fullerton kicker Phil Nevin: “It’s embarrassing.”

A crowd of 19,227 in Aggie Memorial Stadium saw New Mexico State (1-10) score 24 fourth-quarter points to break open a 19-9 game. Aggie quarterback David Chisum, a former Sunny Hills High and Fullerton College standout, completed his first 11 passes en route to a 19-for-31, 288-yard, two-touchdown performance.

That helped New Mexico State snap a 27-game losing streak, which dated back to Oct. 1, 1988. It was the Aggies’ first victory at home since Oct. 24, 1987, and their first Big West Conference victory since they beat Fullerton in 1986.

It was the first time since the second game of the 1983 season, when New Mexico State beat Louisiana Tech, 15-7, that the Aggies held an opponent under 10 points.

New Mexico State entered with the nation’s longest current Division I-A losing streak. The Titans, who have lost 11 in a row since a season-opening victory over Sonoma State, left with longest current Division I-A losing streak.

“I’m not happy about it,” Titan Coach Gene Murphy said. “I’m a competitive son of a . . . and as long as you’re a player or coach, this better eat you up inside.”

First-year New Mexico State Coach Jim Hess may have felt more relieved than elated.

“It was a tremendous burden every time we read in the paper that we had the longest losing streak,” Hess said. “It feels very good to pass that on to someone else.”

After beating Fullerton in 1986, then-New Mexico State Coach Mike Knoll led the Aggies on a victory lap around the stadium. But that was tame compared to Saturday’s postgame celebration.

New Mexico State fans tore down both goal posts and carried them around the field. The Aggies’ victory bell, which had been collecting dust for two years, rang loud and long afterward.

Those weren’t the only strange occurences in Aggie Memorial Stadium, though. In what had to be an unofficial school record, New Mexico State was penalized twice, for excessive celebrations in the end zone after fourth-quarter touchdowns.

And the Aggies’ defense, which had six sacks in 10 previous games, made four appearances in the Titans’ backfield, sacking Paul Schulte four times for a loss of 28 yards.

New Mexico State rolled up 514 yards in offense.

“There’s a difference between being last in your conference and last in the country,” said Fullerton offensive lineman Mike Simmons. “But that’s the title we hold. It hurts, and it’s a tough thing to deal with, but sometimes things happen like that.”